Improvement in carpet-stretchers



.l. LINDSAY.

Carpet-Stretchers.

Patented August 5, 1873.

AM PH OTD'L I T H 0 GRAPH/C C0, N. 7. I'DSBUR E S PROCESS;

rrtE JAMES LINDSAY, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARPET-STRETCHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,446, dated August5, 1873; application filed May 7, 18723.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES LINDSAY, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain Improvements in Carpet- Vises, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention relates to that class of implements known as carpet visesor stretchers, and used in stretching carpets snugly upon floorspreparatory to tacking, or otherwise securing the same in place. Theinvention consists in the combination with two elongated gripingjaws,provided on pivoted shanks, of a toggle-joint, guide-stud, and lever,the whole so arranged that the jaws will automatically open when thedevice is to be applied to grasp or to release the carpet when simplyheld or suspended by or from the said lever; also, in the combination,with the aforesaid jaws, toggle-joint, and lever, of a bearing soprovided that the jaws may be forcibly closed to grasp the carpet by theoutward or upward movement of the lever.

Figure 1 is a side view of a carpet-vise constructed according to myinvention, showing the same as closed to gripe the carpet. Fig. 2 is aside view of the same as opened for application to the carpet.

A and B are two griping jaws, of such length, measured transverse to thelength of the implement entire, as to afford a good hold upon the edgeof the carpet without liability of tearing the same. The shank O of thejaw A has preferably the form of a salient and re-entrant curve, asshown in the drawings, and, except for a portion next adjacent to thejaw, is slotted throughout its length in a plane vertical to that of thejaws. The shank D of the jaw B passes through this slot and is pivotedto (J at a, the extremity of the shank D forming an arm, D. To thislatter,at 0, and constituting with the said arm a toggle-joint, ispivoted the inner end of a lever, F, playing through the slot in theshank O, and having above it the bearing f. In this case, preferably, afriction-roller, turning on an axial pin passed through the extremity of0 below the aforesaid lever, is a cross-pin or stud, g, firmly fixed inthe shank 0. That portion of the lever playing 'between the bearing fand pin 9 is curved inward so as to present two inclined surfaces at itsupper and lower edges. The jaw B is provided at its rear edge with anangular rabbet, i. The front edge of the jaw a plays down past theshoulder e of the other, and has at its own rear edge a shoulder, m,shutting down into the rabbet 2'. When the edge of the carpet isforcibly clamped between the jaws the fabric is, more or less, bent overacross and between the salient angles presented by the two jaws as thusconstructed, and the frictional hold to prevent the instrument fromslipping away from the fabric is materially increased. a

By taking hold of the end of the lever F, and lifting open the same, thelower jaw 12 is allowed to drop by its own weight, the lever itselfsliding, more or less, upon the stud g, which thereby prevents the upperjaw A from falling at the same time. The jaws thus opened are easilythrust above and below the carpet-edge with only one hand of theoperator (the other being, if required, employed in the adjustment (ofthe carpet or other use) and without any inthrust to wrinkle ordisarrange the same. By then pulling outward and upward upon the leverthe latteris brought to bear against the bearing f, and pressing inwardthe adjacent end Dof the shank D tightens the jaw B toward the other tofirmly grasp the carpetedge between. As the movement of the lever inthus grasping the carpet is precisely that necessarily exerted upon itin stretching or drawing the carpet to its place, it follows that themore severe the strain upon the carpet the more firmly will the visegrasp the same to insure the requisite hold until the operation iscomplete. I

When desired a staff, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. '1, may beattached to the outer extremity of the lever in a manner correspondingto that in which staves have been hitherto applied to theoperating-levers of other carpet-Vises.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with the elongatedgripingjaws A B, of the shanks D 0, pivoted together as described, ofthe toggle-joint, the lever F having a sliding movement, and its innerend forming a part of the togglejoint, and the stud or transverse pin 9,sub the whole arranged substantially as and i'm' stantially as and forthe purpose specified. the purpose specified.

2. The combination with the shanks, piv- JAMES LINDSAY. oted togetherand carrying the elongated jaws, of the toggle-joint, the lever F havinga Witnesses: sliding movement, and its inner end forming INGERSOLLLooxwoon, a part of the toggle-joint and the bearing f, WM. TUNNEY.

